Who are Houston's most influential golf figures?

Champions Golf Club co-founder Jack Burke Jr. was greeted with skepticism when he opened his course, but proved to be an influential figure in the city's golf scene.

A few weeks ago, it was time to settle into the well-worn leather chair beside Jackie Burke’s desk once again and simply listen.

He unraveled the leather ties on some journals and let me thumb through the pages. They were filled with random thoughts that are as important today as when he first heard them, read them or, quite frankly, came up with them.

They were so Jackie — a connection to the past tinged with a glimpse into the future. A throwback and a fast-forward. A series of lessons as important in everyday life as they are on the golf course.

His office wall is filled with faded old photographs from decades ago that share space with current photos. Tucked in the corner is a collection of old clubs — and not just any old clubs. They were made by his father, Jack, Sr., the man who brought architect Donald Ross and east coast golf to Houston almost a century ago when he was the pro at River Oaks Country Club.

It’s an amazing reminder that golf has been an incredible part of the fabric of Houston sports since the 1920s.

Yes, on a week when the Astros are facing a must-win home game Thursday against Tampa Bay in the American League Divisional Series, a week when the Texans and their new-found explosive offense are about to face Kansas City, a week when No. 11 Texas faces No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 24 Texas A&M hosts No. 1 Alabama and No. 5 LSU hosts No. 7 Florida, we’re talking golf.

What better time with the retooled, reimagined, re-energized Houston Open settling in for one final event at the Golf Club of Houston this week?

That said, we thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on the most influential people in Houston golf over the last century. No rankings. No certain order. And oh, if we only had the space to list them all. But since we don’t, here is our best of the best:

Jackie Burke

The Houston Sports and World Golf Hall of Famer is still going strong at 96. He still holds court daily at Champions Golf Club, which he founded with Jimmy Demaret in 1957, dispensing life and golf lessons to everyone who stops by. And, oh, he’s often that irascible, but charming old uncle who tells you what you don’t want to hear but need to hear. Burke won 17 tournaments, including both the Masters and PGA in 1956, once won four events in a row, played on five Ryder Cups and captained two and hosted one at Champions in 1967 — the first international golf event in Houston. He has always been a champion of amateurs and the integrity of the game.

Robin Burke

Jackie’s wife and an outstanding amateur player in her own right. A nine-time Women’s City Amateur champion, she shares her husband’s passion for amateurs and growing the game and was the driving force in bringing the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open to Champions next June.

The late Jimmy Demaret holds a plaque displaying his three Masters wins.

Photo: Bob Verlin, HP staff

Jimmy Demaret

The native Houstonian, who died in 1983, was the ying to Burke’s yang. They co-founded Champions, one of the first golf-only clubs, in northwest Houston when you couldn’t get there from here. It worked. Champions once boasted three members and a 6-iron that went to the moon (astronauts Gene Cernan, Alan Shepard and Charles Duke), and had five PGA champs (Burke, Steve Elkington, Jay Hebert, Dave Marr and Hal Sutton) on the membership roll. The Hall of Famer, who won 27 times, including three Masters, was the life of everyone’s party. He’d play all day and sing all night and smooth any feathers Burke ruffled along the way. He was also one of the visionaries behind the Legends of Golf, which launched what is now the Champions Tour.

Jim Crane

It’s been 16 months since the Astros owner stepped in with a vision and a sponsorship package to return the Houston Open to the PGA Tour schedule and the city that had — until the 2018-2019 wraparound schedule — had hosted an event every year since 1949. He wasn’t going to let anything get in his way. And this week, with a logo replete with Astros orange, yellow and navy blue, phase one of the new Houston Open is off and running at the Golf Club of Houston. Phase 2? That will come next fall when the tournament moves to the renovated Memorial Park Golf Course — the course whose old layout hosted the event in the 1950s. Crane isn’t new to golf — he owns The Floridian in Palm City, Fla. — but he’s jumped into the PGA Tour schedule with an eye on getting the event back to a spring slot as soon as possible.

Fred Couples

The 60-year-old grew up in Washington and has lived a myriad of places, but he’s still one of Houston’s favorite sons. He played his college golf at the University of Houston where he was suitemates with Blaine McCallister, Jim Nantz and Paul Marchand. Who didn’t root for Fred? He didn’t have a driver’s license until he was in his 20s, but he tore up college golf and won 15 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters and two Players (1984, 1996) and 13 times on the Champions Tour. Troubled by back problems much of his career, his last TOUR win was the 2003 Shell Houston Open, where he’s always a fan favorite. He also won Houston’s Champions event — the 2010 Administaff Small Business Classic.

Steve Elkington

Now 56, Elkington came to UH as a freshman and never left the city. His elegant swing always ranked among the best on TOUR and, after helping the Cougars to three NCAA titles, went to the Tour where won 10 times, including the 1995 PGA Championship and two Players (1991, 1997).

He doesn’t play on the Tour, but, well, he’s one of the best-known voices in the game. He was on the UH golf team, but his heart was into broadcasting. He and those other famous suitemates used to dream about the day Nantz would call the Masters and help Couples into his green jacket. Yep. That dream came true. Houston still claims Nantz as a favorite son. He anchors CBS’ golf coverage as well as working NFL and NCAA Division I basketball telecasts. Among other honors, he’s been named broadcaster of the year five times.

The Harmons

Some of the best players in the game spent time with either Dick or Butch Harmon when they were in Houston and their dad Claude Sr., got it all started. The brothers were both pros in the Houston area, working with everyone from Tiger Woods to Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange and, well, just keep on going. Dick, who passed away in 2006, was the long-time pro at River Oaks, while Butch, the Houston Open honoree, was at Bay Oaks and Lochinvar. Claude’s other two sons — Craig and Billy — are also top instructors, as is his grandson Claude III, who learned how to teach from his dad Butch and currently teaches at The Floridian and works with Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

Dave Williams

The man never played the PGA Tour, but, Lord, could he pick great players. The father of college golf spent 36 years coaching players like Elkington, Couples, Billy Ray Brown, Bill Rogers, John Mahaffey, Bruce Lietzke and Rex Baxter, Jr., — to name a few at UH and led the Cougars to a record 16 NCAA golf titles, including five in a row. He had seven individual NCAA champs, too. He brought Elkington over from Australia and had Fuzzy Zoeller even dropped by for a semester.

Carol Mann

The 6-3 Hall of Famer — she sometimes said she was 5-15 — stood out in a crowd. Mann, who passed away in 2018, moved to the area in the 1980s when she married course designer Jim Hardy and she never left. Although they divorced, the past president of the LPGA remained one of the game’s great ambassadors. One of the most underrated female players, she was also an instructor and broadcaster.

The Harris County – Houston Sports Authority issued and continues to manage the nearly $1 billion bond debt service on Minute Maid Park, NRG Stadium and Toyota Center. In addition to providing oversight to these world-class venues, the HCHSA promotes sports related events, which enhance the economic development of the region and bring better quality of life to its residents. #WeAreHoustonSports

Houston Golf Association

The organization ran the Houston Open for decades and is now focusing on The First Tee initiatives, the City Amateur and Senior Amateur and restoration of Gus Wortham Park Golf Course. Their program for juniors is one of the best in the country.

The list is endless. Epps, the former Houston Country Club pro, works endlessly to promote the game all over the area. Monty, who played at Houston Baptist, never did break through and win a major on the PGA Tour, but he’s won three senior majors. Lietzke, who passed away last year, was the best player who never had to practice, Rogers won the British Open and Brown, now a broadcaster, won the NCAA as a freshman. Fiori — known on Tour as the Grip — is the man who chased down 54-hole leader Tiger Woods at the 1996 Quad Cities and beat him. And Marr? The elegant player and broadcaster, who died in 1997, spent time at Winged Foot and loved Manhattan’s social scene, but his heart was in Houston. He won just four times, but his understated style and homespun stories made him a legend in the broadcast booth.

Cole Hammer

And, finally, the newest face in this impressive crowd? Kinkaid grad and Texas Longhorns sophomore Cole Hammer, the No. 2-ranked amateur in the world. The 20-year-old got an exemption into the Houston Open, doubled his second hole (No. 11) and came back to open with 1 5-under-67 in his first non-major PGA TOUR event. Grounded. Talented. Verbally committed to UT when he was in eighth grade and played in his first major — the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay — at 15. And, it goes without saying, one of the best names for a golf leaderboard.